St. John's is the capital and largest city of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the St. John's Metropolitan Area, with nearly 40 percent of the province's population. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.

Arts and culture

The downtown area is the cultural hub of St. John's and is a major tourist destination in Newfoundland and Labrador and Atlantic Canada. Both Water Street and Duckworth Street are known for their brightly coloured low rise heritage buildings which house numerous tourist shops, clothing boutiques, and restaurants.

St. John's has a vibrant nightlife, George Street is a downtown side-street above the western end of Water Street and is the predominant home of the city's nightlife. George Street holds numerous annual festivals including the George Street Festival in August and the Mardi Gras Festival held in October. The street can be credited with kick starting the careers of many musical acts and is busy nearly every night of the week.

The LSPU Hall is home to the Resource Centre for the Arts. The "Hall" hosts a vibrant and diverse arts community and is regarded as the backbone of artistic infrastructure and development in the downtown. The St. John's Arts and Culture Centre houses an art gallery, libraries and a 1000 seat theater, which is the city's major venue for entertainment productions.

The Nickel Film Festival and the St. John's International Women's Film Festival are two independent film festivals held annually in St. John's.

Attractions

Museum

The Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador (c. 1892-3) was located on Duckworth Street, the building is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. In 2005 the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, moved into The Rooms, Newfoundland and Labrador's cultural facility, which located in the downtown area.

The Railway Coastal Museum is a transportation museum located in the 104 year old Newfoundland and Labrador train station building on Water Street.

The Johnson Geo Centre is a geological interpretation centre located on Signal Hill. The centre is designed to teach the public about the history of the earth through the unique and complex geological history of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Urban parks

Pippy Park is an urban park located in the east end of the city; with over 3,400 acres (14 km2) of land, it is one of Canada‘s largest urban parks. The park contains a range of recreational facilities including two golf courses, Newfoundland and Labrador's largest serviced campground, walking and skiing trails as well as protected habitat for many plants and animals. Pippy Park is also home to the Fluvarium, an environmental education centre which offers a cross section view of Nagle's Hill Brook.

Bowring Park is located in the Waterford Valley and is one of the most scenic parks in St. John's. Entrance to the park is via Waterford Bridge Road, passing a sculptured duck pond and a statue of Peter Pan. The park land was donated to the city in 1911 by Sir Edgar Rennie Bowring on behalf of Bowring Brothers Ltd. on their 100th anniversary of commerce in Newfoundland. The park was officially opened by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught.

Bannerman Park is a Victorian-style park located near the downtown. The park was officially opened in 1891 by Sir Alexander Bannerman, Governor of the Colony of Newfoundland who donated the land to create the park. Today the park contains a public swimming pool, playground, a baseball diamond and many large open grassy areas. Bannerman Park plays host to many festivals and sporting events, most notably the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival and St. John's Peace-a-chord and is also the finishing location for the annual Tely 10 road race.

Murray Premises

The Murray Premises is a National Historic Site located in downtown St. John's. The buildings once served as a fishery premises, with facilities for drying and packaging fish and warehouses for fish, barrels and other items. The oldest of the buildings is the one facing on Beck’s Cove. It was built after the 1846 fire and for a time served as both shop and house. The Murray Premises was renovated in 1979 and now contains office suites, restaurants, retail stores and a boutique hotel.

Signal Hill

Signal Hill is a hill which overlooks the city of St. John's. It is the location of Cabot Tower which was built in 1897 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland, and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The first transatlantic wireless transmission was received here by Guglielmo Marconi on December 12, 1901.[68] Today, Signal Hill is a Canadian National Historic Site and remains incredibly popular amongst tourists and locals alike; 97% of all tourists to St. John's visit Signal Hill. Amongst its popular attractions are the Signal Hill Tattoo, showcasing the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of foot, circa 1795, and the North Head Trail which grants an impressive view of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding coast.

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